TMZ Sports - Page 50

LeRoy Butler is loving what he's seeing from Jordan Love and his former Packers squad so much ... he tells TMZ Sports he can "absolutely" see the team making a deep run in the postseason.

We spoke with the Green Bay legend following the Pack's upset win over the Chiefs at Lambeau Field ... and he made it crystal clear to us that he's fired up about his old team's potential.

"We're so excited for Jordan Love," Butler said ... before adding, "Listen, he's on fire."

Butler then actually sent a thank you message to the New York Jets ... believing they did his Packers a favor by acquiring Aaron Rodgers in an offseason trade.

"See, now it's a band," Butler said of the Love-led Packers. "Not just a solo act. That's the difference."

Butler tells us he thinks the Packers' hot streak -- which now includes wins in four of their last five games -- will continue ... explaining he thinks the roster is too young to be affected by potential trap games or treacherous road matchups.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid says Kadarius Toney was offsides by an inch or two when he was penalized during Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills ... telling reporters his receiver failed to check with officials prior to the snap, but was hoping they would have given him a heads up.

Reid was livid following the 20-17 loss to the Bills ... saying he felt the officiating crew should have tipped Toney off before the play, calling it "embarrassing" the game ended in that fashion.

Big Red addressed the controversial call again with the media on Monday ... when he explained his frustrations came from a lack of communication with the officials, which he's grown to expect over his decades in the NFL.

Regardless, he was not using the controversial call as an excuse for how the game played out.

"I've been doing this a long time," Reid said. "This isn't an excuse. It's a working relationship. That part is so important in this thing. You see it on both sides. You give the head coach a heads-up. That's what I was really trying to get across."

Reid said he reviewed the game tape and admitted Toney was past the line of scrimmage ... and he will make sure the receiver checks with officials moving forward.

N.Y. Jets fans may have an early Christmas present under the tree ... a healthy Aaron Rodgers, who our sources tell us is expected to be cleared medically for game action before Gang Green's December 24 contest against the Commanders!

Then, it'll be up to the coaches and team execs to decide whether the 4x NFL MVP plays.

We're told barring an unexpected setback, Rodgers will be given the all-clear before the week 16 game against the NFC East team at MetLife Stadium in Jersey.

Of course, Rodgers ruptured his Achilles on September 11, just 4 plays into his Jets career. On September 13, just days later, AR had cutting-edge surgery to repair the injury in Los Angeles.

The injury typically takes professional athletes around 9 months to return to play. If Rodgers comes back on 12/24, it'll be just 104 days after sustaining the devastating injury.

Needless to say, if the Jets allow him to play, Aaron, who has been practicing with his teammates since late November, will complete the fastest-recorded recovery of a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Despite being given the go-ahead from the medical folks, it's possible the team still doesn't allow Rodgers to play ... depending on their playoff prospects.

The Jets, who beat the Texans behind Zach Wilson on Sunday, are still just 5-8 ... and are looking up at 6 teams between them and a playoff birth. The reality is the Jets likely need to win out to have a chance at the postseason.

N.Y. plays the 9-3 Dolphins on Sunday ... and whether Aaron plays the following week could come down to if the team wins or loses that game.

LSU superstar Jayden Daniels was on top of the world after winning the Heisman Trophy on Saturday ... and he ate like it, too -- hitting up a New York City hot spot to celebrate the accomplishment with a fancy dinner!!

TMZ Sports is told ... college football's top player and 12 of his closest family members and friends hit up Sei Less restaurant around 11:30 PM on Saturday ... getting a private room for the occasion.

We're told Daniels' crew chowed down on all the best food on the menu ... including king crab legs, chicken satay, rock shrimp tempura and Beijing chicken.

Our sources say Daniels and Co. also had a celebratory toast with Ace of Spade champagne ... and they were able to enjoy their night an hour past the joint's usual closing time.

The quarterback also got the superstar treatment ... putting his signature on a plate, which is a tradition at the establishment -- and posing for a pic with restaurant founder Dara Mirjahangiry.

Even though it was Joe Burrow's birthday on Sunday, the Bengals quarterback was actually the one giving out gifts ... lending Jake Browning's friends and family his suite seats at Paycor Stadium.

The backup QB's longtime girlfriend, Stephanie Niles, his siblings and his hometown friends all made the trek from California to Cincinnati on Sunday in order to watch him start for the Bengals against the Colts -- and thanks to Burrow, they were able to get comfy while taking in the action.

Browning made sure to shout out Burrow's kind gesture after he locked up the 34-14 win over Indianapolis .... giving a big thank you to the injured signal-caller during his postgame press conference.

"Well, first of all, it is not my box," Browning said. "I did not buy that in the preseason -- it's very expensive."

"So, Joe Burrow was nice enough to give them some tickets so they didn’t have to sit up in the cold. We’re all from California, so I’m used to it, they’re not. I’m sure they were much more excited in the box."

"It’s awesome to have them here," Browning added. "It’s always nice to have people there, and it’s mostly nice after you win to go grab dinner or something somewhere."

Browning -- who previously played for the Minnesota Vikings before signing with Cincy in 2021 -- put on a heck of a show in front of his guests ... throwing for 275 yards and two touchdowns.

10:02 AM PT -- A spokesperson for the Arlington Police Department tells TMZ Sports ... no arrests were made, explaining, "it does not appear either of the men involved or the vendor whose items were knocked over contacted us to file a report with us."

Two fans at the Cowboys vs. Eagles game got into a wild brawl ... and things turned so violent during the fight, the combatants almost destroyed thousands of dollars worth of memorabilia.

The scrap went down during the Cowboys' win over Philadelphia ... when a man wearing a Raiders Michael Crabtree jersey got into it with a Dallas fan.

It's unclear what started it all ... but video from the scene shows the two were throwing some serious haymakers at each other -- before they spilled into a pop-up shop full of rare, signed jerseys, photos and more.

Thankfully, while the two were going at it, none of the items appeared to be damaged.

The guys, however, continued to slug each other even after they moved on from the memorabilia tent ... punching each other in the face over and over again.

No word on if any arrests were made -- the footage of the tilt cut out before the fight concluded -- but it seems bystanders ultimately stepped in to calm things down.

As for the action on the field at AT&T Stadium -- there wasn't much of a fight there ... the Cowboys won by 20 in a game that never really felt close.

Travis Kelce may have been a loser on the field on Sunday night, but off of it, he continued his winning ways, leaving Arrowhead Stadium hand in hand with Taylor Swift.

The Chiefs superstar's girlfriend was in attendance for his game against the Buffalo Bills for the second straight weekend ... and while Kelce and Kansas City couldn't pull out the win at home, Swift was there to console him afterward.

She was spotted grabbing his hand and chatting with him following the 20-17 L ... some TLC we're sure he could use, given the controversial way the Chiefs lost.

Despite an offsides call that ruined the afternoon for the Chiefs ... the tight end still played solidly, recording six catches for 83 yards.

Swift was seen on the broadcast cheering him on often ... and, at one point during the game, announcer Tony Romo actually referred to her as Kelce's "wife" -- a verbal flub he quickly corrected.

The NFL contest was the sixth one Swift has attended this season -- and if you're keeping score at home, the Chiefs are now 4-2 with her in attendance.

TLC's Chilli and actor Matthew Lawrence aren't as public about their romance as they used to be, but don't let the quiet fool you -- their relationship is still booming, and they're gearing up for some shared holiday cheer.

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... Chilli and Matthew recently spent their second Thanksgiving together, with the singer cooking up some grub for them, and Matthew was apparently blown away by the meal.

They've been doing the long-distance thing for a bit -- she's in Georgia, he's in L.A. -- but have still made time to see each other as much as they can.

Chilli and Matthew were together Thursday night for TLC's show in Vegas, and they both went to an Atlanta Falcons game together last month.

Check out the vid from the game, BTW -- that's Chilli and Matthew groovin' to Soulja Boy's "Crank That" ... with Big Boi's grandson!

Obviously, things appear to be going great for the couple ... and we're told they're gonna spend Christmas together this year, too -- another sign they're in this for the long haul.

Next weekend's LA Bowl will have it all -- football, food, booze ... and Rob Gronkowski singing?!?!

It's true ... at least, that's according to the ex-NFL star, who tells TMZ Sports he's slated to be on the microphone when it comes time to belt out the national anthem before the big game's kickoff.

The former Patriots tight end, though, said it won't be a solo act ... explaining to us the New Directions Veterans Choir will be there to help him get through it.

"It's kind of like I'm the quarterback," Gronkowski said, "and I have the best offensive line in front of me so they can make me look good."

Gronk says he'll certainly be in need of the assistance ... telling us that when he performed the song recently for the bowl game's committee -- which included his good pal Julian Edelman -- it was met with some rotten reviews.

"I got to keep practicing," he admitted.

Outside of Gronkowski's vocals, the game -- which will pit UCLA against Boise State at SoFi Stadium on Dec. 16 -- will feature a whole lot of other fun activities ... including a dance cam and a special Gronk-themed drink.

As for why the future Hall of Famer will be so prominently displayed during the college football matchup ... he's actually the game's host -- explaining to us that he took the role from Jimmy Kimmel after he found out the LA Bowl (formerly the Las Vegas Bowl) was the final game he played in when he was a student-athlete at U of A.

2:28 PM PT -- Tony Romo just mistakenly identified Taylor Swift as Travis Kelce's wife during the broacast.

Definitely seemed to be a slip of the tongue, because he corrected himself very quickly afterward to say she was just his girlfriend. Of course, his screw-up has sent the Swifites into a frenzy, as they think he might've revealed something that's being kept secret.

Namely, that they're actually hitched. As far as we know, there's no truth to that ... yet.

Another Sunday, another Taylor Swift sighting at the Kansas City Chiefs game -- this time, she's back in Missouri to watch Travis Kelce take on Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.

Indeed, T-Swift is in the building at Arrowhead Sunday ... and just like all the other times before, she'll have a front-row seat to all the action as TK and co. take on the New York team. Her presence there was pretty casual ... looks like she strolled right in.

Check out this video of Taylor walking right past the Bills as they were about to exit the tunnel. Doesn't seem they even noticed her as they were hyping each other up.

She didn't seem to mind that nobody stopped to acknowledge her ... she simply cruised right on through and went on about her business -- on her way to the luxury suite, no doubt.

The photos of her there at the stadium are already pouring in, and it looks like she's in selfie mode ... taking pics with friends and fans alike. As far who she's sitting with -- the early photos popping up online seem to suggest she's right next to Travis's mom, Donna Kelce.

We'll see what sort of impact Taylor has on the game today ... remember, last time she attended (literally last week) it appeared to have the opposite effect that she normally has ... namely, spurring the Chiefs to a win.

Anyway, get used to seeing Taylor at these games for the foreseeable future ... she won't have to start touring again until February, when she has to fly to Tokyo for a string of shows.

In the meantime ... let's play some football!!!

Bronny James just made his college basketball debut ... and his dad, LeBron, had a front-row seat for the special moment.

The 19-year-old USC hooper entered Sunday's home contest against Long Beach State around the 13-minute mark in the first half ... and the Galen Center erupted as James stepped onto the court.

Of course, the former Sierra Canyon standout's college career was put on hold after he suffered cardiac arrest during a workout back in July ... but as we previously reported, he was given the green light late last week to finally suit up for games.

LeBron -- who vowed not to miss Bronny's first game, even if it conflicted with his Lakers schedule -- held up to his promise ... getting a courtside seat and documenting his son's entrance on his iPhone.

He also said following the Lakers' In-Season Tournament championship win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday he was looking forward to being in L.A. for the game ... so we take it it was one helluva weekend for the James Gang.

Elon Musk brought an important guest to the Army-Navy Game Saturday ... his 3-year-old son ... and there's backstory here.

X Æ A-Xii was perched on his dad's shoulders as they watched Army beat its rival by a 17-11 margin.

Elon and son stood out ... they were in civilian duds and surrounded by uniformed fans.

The two were all smiles as they posed with the Army Mules mascot at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts.

Elon was rooting for the winning team ... he's an Army fan.

As for the backstory ... Elon and Grimes are in a custody fight over their 3 kids. She filed for parental rights back in October.

The Dallas Cowboys WILL re-sign Dak Prescott ... at least, that's according to Drew Pearson, who tells TMZ Sports the QB's new deal will almost certainly be the richest one in NFL history.

Pearson spelled it out loud and clear for us during an interview earlier this week ... saying there's just no way in hell Jerry Jones will let his star signal-caller get away from Dallas after this season.

"Dak ain't going anywhere, OK?" the Hall of Famer says. "Jerry Jones is not going to let Dak Prescott go away. He's everything we want in a Dallas Cowboy quarterback."

Of course, some have wondered if this could be Dak's last year in Big D -- because while he does have one year left on his current contract, his cap number is slated to be monstrous in 2024. Plus, the Cowboys traded for former top-five pick Trey Lance in August.

Prescott's stellar play this year has quieted a lot of that chatter ... although without a deep playoff run this season, it's likely the talk will loom around the team for the entire offseason.

But, Pearson made it clear, he doesn't believe Prescott will go anywhere one way or another.

"He's going to end up being the highest-paid player probably in NFL history," Pearson said. "Because Jerry Jones is not going to let Dak Prescott go. We are going to sign Dak Prescott and he'll be a Cowboy for life."

In fact, Pearson said he's so high on Prescott -- he'd actually take him over Jalen Hurts right now.

"You're talking to a receiver, OK?" he said. "I want the guy that's throwing it right here."

Don't be surprised if Lamar Jackson's lifting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of this year ... 'cause former Baltimore star Peter Boulware says he's confident the Ravens have what it takes to win the Super Bowl this season.

The ex-pass rusher made it clear to TMZ Sports he loves what the Baltimore QB is doing ... as well as everyone else that's surrounding the talented signal-caller this year.

"They've got the pieces in place and they've got the coaches in place to really, really get it done," Boulware said. "So, they're in a really, really good position."

Of course, Boulware is biased ... he played for the Ravens for the entirety of his career from 1997 to 2005, and won one Super Bowl for the org. But, Baltimore does truly appear to be that good this season.

They're currently 9-3 and tied for the No. 1 seed in the AFC ... and with quarterback injuries all over the conference, they -- alongside the Chiefs -- certainly seem like the favorites for now to make it to the Big Game in February.

The classic "$500k or a dinner with Jay-Z?" debate just turned into "$25k or dinner with Jerry West?" ... 'cause that's what one lucky bidder shelled out for an evening with the Logo at a big charity event.

TMZ Sports has learned ... a special one-on-one with the Pro Basketball Hall of Famer was one of the big auction items at a gathering for the Aiming High Foundation this week ... with an anonymous bidder winning the RSVP with a massive, quarter-hundred thou donation.

Not only did the winner get a din-din with West, but two VIP passes to an upcoming L.A. Clippers game were also included in the bundle.

The Aiming High Foundation -- founded by celebrity agent Darren Prince -- raises funds for those seeking help with mental health and substance abuse issues ... so the money is going to a good cause!!

Prince's clients like Brande Roderick, Jesse Metcalfe, American Idol star Nutsa and influencer Rudy Mawyer were also present at Komodo in Miami ... so it sounds like it was quite the shindig.

Shohei Ohtani just announced he will be a Los Angeles Dodger ... reportedly landing a massive 10-year, $700 million contract -- the richest deal in Major League Baseball and North American sports history.

The Japanese two-way superstar personally shared the news on his Instagram page just minutes ago ... apologizing for keeping the baseball world on pins and needles as he came up with his decision to leave the Los Angeles Angels.

"First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with the Angels organization and the fans who have supported me over the past six years, as well as to everyone involved with each team that was part of this negotiation process," Ohtani said in his post. "Especially to the Angels fans who supported me through all the ups and downs, your guys’ support and cheer meant the world to me. The six years I spent with the Angels will remain etched in my heart forever."

Ohtani also pledged to give his absolute best on the field for the Dodgers fanbase ... adding, "Until the last day of my playing career, I want to continue to strive forward not only for the Dodgers but for the baseball world."

The Dodgers are getting the most entertaining player in the sport -- as Shohei is a dominant force on both sides of the ball.

He played the first six seasons of his MLB career with the crosstown rival Angels ... racking up 681 hits, 171 homers and 437 RBI ... as well as a 38-19 record with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts on the mound.

Other organizations reportedly had a chance at landing the two-time MVP -- including the San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays -- but the free agency process was super secretive, per Ohtani's request.